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CATCHALLActually, this book was much better than Eve. I didn't feel the need to throw this as often, which means I only wanted to throw it about every other page. Still, not horrible. I enjoyed it more than Eve in some parts and there was definitely more action, which was nice. It had more of an actual plot, which was incredible and really enjoyable. All in all, a more solid book than Eve, although I will still need more if I am to be impressed by the next book.

THE HEROINEEVEI'm not going to mince words here. Eve is kind of a bitch. There were so many moments where I wanted to slap her across the face and yell at her for being an ungrateful brat. She's so selfish and self-centered and never thinks of anyone else except for herself. Even her supposed "love" for Caleb clearly stems from her own desires. I'll cover that more later. Anyway, if I thought that I disliked Eve in the first book, I had no idea what was coming. I absolutely hated her in this book and for good reasons, I think. She has no sense of caring for anyone other than herself.

THE LOVE INTERESTCALEBCaleb also gets even more boring. I really wanted to smack him. Does he have a freaking death wish or something? I love what love is, people. Maybe sometimes love involves risking your life—but not in stupid ways! Not in ways that are almost certain to get you killed! Come on, Caleb, know when to step back! He's kind of an idiot and I felt no love for him whatsoever. The entire book I just kind of secretly hoped he would get his death wish granted. Unfortunately, it's pretty obvious that that wasn't going to happen.

THE SUITORCHARLESI didn't like Charles, but I didn't dislike him either. In fact, he was pretty much the only character in the book that I didn't mind. I even understood him, in a way. He wasn't some devilish all-bad person, as Eve would like to believe. I'm not saying that excuses everything that he does, but it does make it more understandable.

THE FATHERI forget his name, if it was even mentionedActually, I didn't like him. But I also didn't hate him. I think I know why he does things the way he does, even if they're wrong.

THE FRIENDARDENShe's not in the book much, but I was glad to see her back. She has way more common sense than Eve. Unfortunately, she also likes Eve, so, you know.

THE PLOTActually, the plot of this book was pretty good.

Well, maybe not actually god. But it actually had a plot, as opposed to Eve, which had a nonexistent plot.

Sure, there were still a ton of times where I was tempted to throw my ereader. And some things were still vastly too predictable. I still could see some things coming long before they came.

However, unlike Eve, Once actually had plot twists. Real, live plot twists. Things I didn't expect.

Overall, the plot of Once wasn't too shabby.

THE ROMANCEStill too much instalove that isn't even love. Love is not being an idiot for someone else. That's called infatuation. Eve makes the most stupid and ridiculous choices based on this moronic "love" that made me frustrated and angry all at once. (See what I did there?) Anyway, the romance has not improved from Eve. If anything, it's gotten worse. I hate the so-called romance in these books. I absolutely hate it. This is the worst kind of instalove.

THE WRITINGActually, I think Anna's writing has improved. It's hard to tell, as Eve's voice is still incredibly annoying, but if I do my best to look past that I can see that Anna has actually gotten better about describing things and such. She still struggles with dialogue, in my humble opinion, but the writing has definitely improved, and I was really happy to see that.

THE ENDINGOh my God. This made the book for me. I thought it would be this predictable little thing, but then Anna really surprised me and I was absolutely thrilled. The ending was completely perfect. I could not have done it better myself. She completely threw me off in a good way, but I was so impressed! The ending made the next book worth reading for me. It's the kind of ending that didn't leave me feeling cheated, but satisfied. Excellently done! The ending was the thing that ensured that I will be reading the next book. I loved it, I loved it, I loved it!

WRAPUPWould I recommend this? Well. I would actually recommend Once, but I have a problem with recommending Eve, the first book. Still, I think that Once is worth reading. I know that I'll be reading the next book in the series, and I should have more to tell you then. Anyway, I think it's worth checking this one out! And who knows? Maybe you could even read it without reading Eve first.

CATCHALLI wanted to like this book. Obviously, I do not read books that I know I am going to hate. Unfortunately, I struggled with this one. I didn't hate it, but I didn't necessarily like it either. It was definitely an interesting read, but probably not one I'd repeat.

THE HEROINEEVEI really didn't like Eve. She's somewhat of a brat and incredibly annoying. more than once I felt the urge to smack her across the face. What was her problem? I seriously do not understand how someone can be so ridiculous and improbably irritating. There wasn't much to like about her and she was one of the most disconnected heroines I've ever read about. There was pretty much nothing to admire about her and I really really disliked her. Strongly. Unfortunately, with a complete attitude makeover and a whole new set of values and such, I probably would have enjoyed this book immensely more.

THE LOVE INTERESTCALEBCaleb was probably even more boring than Eve. I couldn't have given less of a damn what happened to him. He had pretty much no personality. I really kept hoping that he would just vanish of the face of the earth, but no such luck. I thought he was the most boring person in the universe. If I'm repeating myself, I don't care. He really was boring and that's why there's not much else to say.

THE FRIENDARDENI actually liked Arden. She's plucky and has something of a personality. Of course, she ended up being kind of a liar, which is inexcusable. Still, I guess it's kind of understandable. Well, anyway, she was probably the only semi-interesting character in this entire novel. Still, she could have done with some further development, although I admit that she is vastly more developed than Eve herself, which is poor characterization on Anna's part.

THE PLOTYikes. They call this thing a plot.

The plot of this book was pretty nonexistent.

It involves Eve on the run. Constantly. Which would be cool if there was anything interesting going on, except that there is nothing interesting going on.

Instead, it's really boring.

There were so many times where I was tempted to throw my ereader and be like, "Something happen already, dammit!"

Unfortunately, nothing ever happened.

It was also pretty predictable and even repetitive. The same things seemed to happen over and over and I was tempted to roll my eyes more than once.

THE ROMANCEOh my goodness. Instalove from a chick who knows absolutely nothing about love. Jeez, there is no romantic development whatsoever. Eve goes from hating Caleb to loving him in what seems to me to be a week at most, give or take a day or two. It's absolutely terrifying. I understand that she doesn't really seem to understand what love is, but that's still no excuse for the ridiculousness of the speedy romantic development. No one goes from suspicion to love tat quickly. Okay, no one. Case in point: I felt similar to the way that Eve feels about Caleb when I first met my boyfriend, but it took me two and a half years for me to admit I loved him. Not two and a half weeks. Nothing develops that quickly.

THE WRITINGOooh. Anna's writing isn't my favorite. For one, Eve's voice is incredibly annoying and it kind of ruined the book for me. I mean, it might have been better in third person, but it's hard to look past Eve's voice. The description is sadly lacking and the dialogue is far from sparkling. I was so angry about that. Also, it's just not very good. Still, I think that there is definitely room to improve. I do see potential.

THE ENDINGSuper predictable and boring. Probably bound to happen at some point, but not the best place to end a novel because it was too predictable. Still, I guess the ending could have been worse. I mean, it wasn't ideal, but it wasn't a tragedy or anything.

WRAPUPAll in all, Eve was good enough, and I have higher hopes for Once. I think that Anna really has potential and that if the story develops more then it could really be good and I love that. I feel that Anna really can grow as an author. This book wasn't my favorite, but debut novels are tough.

There's quite a few blogs signed up for this hop, so I want to keep it short and sweet.

You can win up to $30 worth of books from The Book Depository. There will be three awesome and lucky winners!

There are three ways to get entries:

Your free entry.

Following via GFC.

Subscribing via email.

To enter, send me an email using the email address below. Obviously, include important information. For the free entry, just leave me your full name, which is never shared. For GFC, I'll need your GFC name. If you subscribe via email, I'll need the email you subscribe with and it must be verified. Put "Freedom to Read Giveaway" in the subject line, please.

CATCHALLI really did like this book. I didn't find it spectacular, but I honestly really did enjoy it. Even if the title is a tad bit too long. The idea was unique and while I think it could have been developed further, the execution was not shabby and I really have so many good things to say about this book. It was one of the most fun books that I've read in a long time and I cannot wait to read more.

THE HEROINEDAPHNEI'm not sure how to feel about Daphne. On one hand, I loved that she was plucky and relatable. On the other, once she knew about magic, she had no problem using it left and right like a crutch. A dangerous and a bit ridiculous crutch. Still, she was a pretty admirable character, and I definitely liked her.

THE GIRLSLILAI liked Lila, although she was a bit polarizing and kind of condescending, which is never cool. I seriously had some issues with her, despite liking her. Sometimes I wanted to slap her. Still, she's a good friend, and definitely forgiving.VIVIANOh, I actually kind of liked her in some ways, although in others I didn't. She definitely has her faults, but then so do we all. Underneath he exterior, she's a really interesting person and I really found myself admiring her income ways. She's really strong, and has a good will, and I don't believe she's a bad person at heart.

THE BOYSKYLEOh God, he was disgusting. He disgusted me. I completely hated him and wanted to punch him in the neck. He is exactly the type of guy I avoid and the reason why I've never dated anyone my age. High school boys tend to have low maturity levels, which Kyle is a spectacular exemplar of.JOHN DAVIDHmm, well, I liked him better than Kyle, which, you know, is not saying a lot. Still, he wasn't an awful character, so that gives him points in my book.

THE PLOTI really liked the idea of this plot. It was really original and unique, and Robert had some awesome ideas.

While it was a little bit predictable, some things were completely unexpected and it kept me on my toes enough that I didn't feel cheated by the things that were predictable.

Also, the ideas and the magic were completely amazing. I loved that it was so original and unlike anything I've ever read about before.

I did think the magic was used a bit too much, as I've said before. I think it went a bit to extremes and was a bit ridiculous at some points, but overall I think it was very good.

Also, what high school has a playground? With swings?

THE ROMANCEThe romance wasn't too heavy, which was nice. Except that it involved the disgusting Kyle, which was anything but. Still, it wasn't extremely instalovey or anything, and it wasn't the main focus of the story, so that was really nice. I liked that it was a background thing so as not to draw attention away from the story.

THE WRITINGRobert has really awesome writing. It's a bit juvenile, but with time it I know it will improve. There is so much potential Everything flows so nicely and there's a lovely and slightly lyrical feel to the writing that I love. It really helped contribute to my enjoyment of the novel.

THE ENDINGI thought the ending was a bit abrupt, but, well, it was actually pretty good. Even if it was kind of weird, it fit he story pretty well but left room for the beginning of new conflicts and more adventure in magic.

WRAPUPThis was a really good book and I really liked it. I definitely know that I want to read more and find out that is going to happen next! This story drew me in and I really felt potential within some of the characters. I just know that as the story develops, there will be so much more to love.

Another beautiful Waiting on Wednesdays has arrived again to grace us! Thank you, Jill, over at Breaking the Spine!

This week's WoW is going to be great. You can practically already feel the greatness, just oozing out of this post...

Now it's just starting to sound disgusting. So, anyway, without further ado, I present to you Hidden by Sophie Jordan!

Jacinda was supposed to bond with Cassian, the "prince" of their pride. But she resisted long before she fell in love with Will—a human and, worse, a hunter. When she ran away with Will, it ended in disaster, with Cassian's sister, Miram, captured. Weighed down by guilt, Jacinda knows she must rescue her to set things right. Yet to do so she will have to venture deep into the heart of enemy territory.The only way Jacinda can reach Miram is by posing as a prisoner herself, though once she assumes that disguise, things quickly spiral out of her control. As she learns more about her captors, she realizes that even if Will and Cassian can carry out their part of the plan, there's no guarantee they'll all make it out alive. But what Jacinda never could have foreseen is that escaping would be only the beginning....Loyalties are tested and sacrifices made in the explosive conclusion to Sophie Jordan's Firelight trilogy.

Now, this series has been incredibly up and down for me and definitely not my favorite series ever, but I am genuinely interested in seeing how everything ends and how everything plays out. I think it's fairly obvious who Jacinda will end up with, but I'm still going to cross my fingers that she doesn't.

Anyway, it's hard for me not to drool when looking at this cover. It is so gorgeous. I want hair that red. Actually, any red hair would do, but hair that red is even better.

So, really, I want this one very, very badly. How about you guys? How many of you have read Firelight and/or Vanish? Or even Hidden, since I know there are Hidden ARCs floating around?

CATCHALLI flat-out hated this book, which should be clear once you see the lowest rating that I have ever given a book. Yes, I gave this book 0.50 stars and would gladly have given it zero, except for the fact that the idea was original and awesome. I know so many people who loved this book and wrote awesome and intelligent glowing reviews. I hugely respect their opinions but that does not change the fact that this book was not for me. It was a complete and total chore just for me to finish it and I almost didn't. It has been an extremely long time since I've had such violent feelings about a book.

THE HEROINEANAOh my goodness, Ana was ridiculous. She was annoying and insipid and not a page went by where I didn't want to punch her in the face. Hard. I seriously disliked her and would have been satisfied if she had never, ever been born. I absolutely hated her and could not for the life of my figure out why anyone would like her. I'm sorry, but I'm just being honest. She was stupid and got on my nerves more than once.

THE LOVE INTERESTSAMOh my goodness gracious, can y'all say cliché for me, please? No one is this perfect and yet this ridiculous at the same time. There is no such thing as a perfect person, mmm, Jodi? And yet for every single one of his faults, Sam seemed to have a million good things to speak of. I didn't like him at all. He was also extremely annoying and insipid and moreover, dull.

THE FRIENDSTEFStef was the only character who was semi-decent and somewhat likable, not to say that I liked her. She was okay. But when compared to Ana and Sam, she was the most interesting freaking person in the whole entire universe.

THE PLOTI can pretty much sum this up in one word: predictable.

It was painfully obvious what was going to happen before it actually happened. I could have told you exactly how this book was going to end just a few pages in.

Which is just sad, people. I should not know how a book is going to end after only beginning it.

I concede that the idea which fueled this novel is, quite simply, brilliant, and that is what drew me in in the first place. Unfortunately, the execution is awful.

THE ROMANCEAh, instalove at its finest. The best part (please note my sarcasm) is that there's also no chemistry. Sam and Ana's relationship is so damn boring. Nothing of remote interest ever happens and frankly, it's laughable. They were completely inane together but at the same time I wouldn't wish them on anyone else. They deserve each other, but it's still insane how much quickly they supposedly fall in love. Oh, sweet old instalove.

THE WRITINGJodi's writing was not my favorite. Granted, I didn't like Ana's voice, and it might have been better in third person or something. Still, something of every character is the author and perhaps Jodi's writing just wasn't for me. I couldn't stand Ana's voice and there was so much unnecessary dialogue and none of it was even vaguely entertaining.

THE ENDINGOh boy, I could see this one coming, much like I said earlier. I could not believe that so much of it was treated like this huge revelation when none of it was a revelation. It was so obvious how everything was going to end that I could not believe I was not supposed to know. It was stupid and it was way, way, way too clean.

WRAPUPOh, I will most definitely not be reading Asunder unless I can get it for free and I have literally absolutely nothing better to do, which is highly unlikely. Plus, I already knowing how this is going to end. I don't have to know more about the story to know that. In fact, I will probably never read any of Jodi's books. I hate being angry and negative and no doubt reading more of her books will make me angry and negative.

Magic Mondays is still open for anyone who would like to join :) You should probably see my Features page for more information on that front.

But anyway, let's get to this week's giveaway!

It is on the epic book Throne of Glass, which I read and loved! I will be putting my review up closer to the on-sale date (although probably soon). I'll give you one thing now, though: Prince Dorian is a very sexy man. I was completely in love with him by the end of this book.

Hello, darlings! Another week is beginning with a boom here at Sparkles and Lightning! As usual, I'm kicking off the week by announcing the hot new YA releases of this week!

This week's haul is smallish, but there are still some awesome and highly anticipated reads coming out as well as some other awesome stuff!

Storm of Books may or may not include new and/or paperback editions of previously released books.

FEATURED RELEASE OF THE WEEK

A Want So Wicked by Suzanne Young

Elise is a normal seventeen-year-old girl until the day she wakes up in a desert park, with no idea who she is. After that episode, her life takes a bizarre turn. She’s experiencing unexpected flashes of insight into people’s lives—people she’s never met before. Strangers frighten her with warnings about the approaching Shadows. And although Elise has never had a boyfriend, she suddenly finds herself torn between two handsome but very different young men: Abe, the charming bad boy whose effect on her both seduces and frightens her, and the mysterious Harlin, who’s new to town but with whom Elise feels an urgent, elemental connection—almost as if they are soul mates.Now Elise begins to question everything about her life. Why do these guys both want her so desperately? What are the Shadows? Why does the name Charlotte inspire a terrifying familiarity? And who is Elise, really?

The start of an original new urban fantasy series starring human chameleon Ciel Halligan

Snagging a marriage proposal for her client while on an all-expenses-paid vacation should be a simple job for Ciel Halligan, aura adaptor extraordinaire. A kind of human chameleon, she’s able to take on her clients’ appearances and slip seamlessly into their lives, solving any sticky problems they don’t want to deal with themselves. No fuss, no muss. Big paycheck.

This particular assignment is pretty enjoyable... that is, until Ciel’s island resort bungalow is blown to smithereens and her client’s about-to-be-fiancé is snatched by modern-day Vikings. For some reason, Ciel begins to suspect that getting the ring is going to be a tad more difficult than originally anticipated.

Going from romance to rescue requires some serious gear-shifting, as well as a little backup. Her best friend, Billy, and Mark, the CIA agent she’s been crushing on for years—both skilled adaptors—step in to help, but their priority is, annoyingly, keeping her safe. Before long, Ciel is dedicating more energy to escaping their watchful eyes than she is to saving her client’s intended.

Suddenly, facing down a horde of Vikings feels like the least of her problems.

CATCHALLI actually got an ARC of this one a long time ago, but my ereader is stupid and broken and would not let me upload it, sadly. Jerk ereader. But anyway, I finally got around to buying myself a pretty little physical copy and absolutely beyond adored it. In fact, I couldn't stop reading it, it was so good. It wasn't perfect, but I still really loved it very much. I thought it was a fantastic story.

THE HEROINESAMANTHA DAYSamantha Day is your typical girl-next-door. She's so relatable and I loved her completely. I found myself drawn into her story and who she was. I immediately found myself wanting to learn more about her from the very beginning. She was awesome and mysterious and develops beautifully. It was really interesting to watch her transformation from the beginning of the novel to the end.

THE LOVE INTERESTBISHOPOh goodness, it would have been impossible for me to not fall deeply in love with him. I admit that his name isn't originally a turn-on, but I have this D&D game that I play sometimes with a character named Bishop who is possibly the hottest thing since fire, so I was biased when I began. But he quickly moved into my heart of his own volition. He is really sweet and protective, and tries so hard to be good. I admired him greatly for that. Also, he's just so awesome. Protective. Sweet. Strong. Powerful. Troubled. Really, really hot. I was deeply in love with him, even though he isn't as sexy as Kraven.

THE REALLY SEXY DEMONKRAVENAs much as I am in love with Bishop, Kraven is just so sexy. I love bad boys. I just love, love, love bad boys. And Kraven has got to be one of the sexiest bad boys I've come across in quite some time. Seriously, I want him. I do not even know how to explain how much I love Kraven. Like, so much. SOSOSO freaking much. I love Kraven ridiculously much. He's naughty and somewhat insane. Dark and maybe a little cruel. Sexy. Damn sexy. It's incredible. Like, how does someone even get that how? Well now, this is turning into a hopeless ramble so I'm gonna shut up, since by now I'm sure you know how desperately much I love Kraven anyway.

THE VILLAINNATALIENatalie intrigued me at first, but unfortunately I quickly became bored by her. She doesn't have a whole lot of substance and while she does start off different then she ends visibly, there's no real arc and she isn't really that interesting. I would have liked to be incised her head, though.

THE PLOTDark Kiss started off a little bit slowly. It took a while for any real action to happen. First, it sets everything up prettily and waits as you try to figure it out. Unfortunately, yes, it does take a while to get into anything interesting.

Still, once it gets started, it really gets started. The action is still a little on the slow side. It's not really action-packed, although there is definitely a lot of action. It was definitely a hard book to put down. I really didn't want to stop reading it, although much of it was because I wanted to get to the end. Not because it was bad, but because there wasn't exactly a ton of action, as I've said.

It was really interesting, though. Angels and demons forced to work together because of a great evil. Some got along alright, some really hated each other. The dynamic was great.

Even though the plot was a bit too slow-moving for my taste, the awesomeness of it all really made up for the lack of speed. Overall, it was awesome and I loved it! And Kraven.

THE ROMANCEI loved the way this romance was, even if it definitely veered into the instalove zone, which was unfortunate. Still, while it is underdeveloped it is believable in a strange way. I could feel the sparks between Sam and Bishop. While I felt some chemistry between Sam and Kraven too, I'm glad she doesn't want him because I'll take him any day. But moving on! Sam and Bishop have a really good romance getting started and with further development it could really flourish.

THE WRITINGMichelle's writing is nice, if a bit too juvenile. It's told in first person POV by Sam, and sometimes she sounds a bit too young. However, the prologue from Bishop's POV in third person is completely beautiful. I really loved that part, and the rest of the book might have been better if told in third person, but oh well. Sam does have a really relatable voice, which helps make her so real.

THE ENDINGThe ending was awesome! It left me satisfied. I felt that just enough was wrapped up, the main plot of this book all resolved but enough left open for problems in future books. It doesn't close off avenues, and leaves a lot. It wasn't a huge and cruel cliffhanger, but it most definitely left me wanting a lot more!

WRAPUPI absolutely loved Dark Kiss! I really cannot wait for the next book, and will be reading it as soon as is humanly possible. I already have a feeling that I'll never be able to get enough of this series. And why would I? It has its faults, but it's also incredibly awesome and a ton of fun! I am a Michelle Rowen fan for life!

CATCHALLI've read almost all of Jane Austen's books. In fact, the only one I haven't read, ironically enough, is Persuasion. I'll have to read it soon, I think, to help me further appreciate this book. Still, I am of the firm belief that this book was still awesome nonetheless. I literally couldn't put it down. All I wanted to do was read this book. I was far from perfect, but it was still unbelievable awesome.

THE HEROINEELLIOT NORTHUnfortunately, Elliot didn't work as a name for me. I know that she was named to parallel Anna Elliot without having the have the exact same name, but it still didn't work for me. I really didn't like the name on her and I was completely disappointed by the name. Anywas, the stupid name aside, I really liked her. Sure, she was unusually dense, and kind of ignorant on some matters, but it also clear that she was really intelligent and had some awesome ideas. She was the girl who could save her people, and moreover, she wanted to. She worked hard at being a good person and while she had faults—many of them—she was a truly admirable character.

THE LOVE INTERESTMALAKAI WENTFORTHOh, jeez, Kai is hot. So very, very hot. So what if he kind of acts like a jerk for one-half to two-thirds of the novel? Actually, I know I shouldn't find it hot, but it is actually really hot and I can't deny it. I absolutely fell in love with him. despite the strong and unaffected front he put on, he has a sweet heart and a wonderful personality. I couldn't get enough of him. I loved reading about him and looked forward to the scenes that he was in eagerly. I absolutely loved him. I already said that, didn't I? But this is just to let you know how much I meant it!

THE SISTERTATIANA NORTHWhat a freaking brat! I realize that that was the point, but still. Anyway, she came around in the end, and there was definitely something to admire in her actions.

THE FATHERZACHARIAH NORTHI know what it's like to not get along at all with your father, and I really sympathized with Elliot on this front. When he antagonized her, I really understood what she was going through and it helped me identify with her. It brought me closer to Elliot, even though I absolutely hated Zachariah. He was a complete jerk!

THE FLEETFELICIA INNVOVATIONI loved Felicia! She had life in her. Life and loss and love. (I love alliteration, don't you?) Anyway, Felicia was awesome! I liked how real she was. I really felt a connection to her, too. She helps mentor Elliot and takes her under her wing when her father won't. Under her, Elliot grows as a person. Felicia is so nourishing and sweet in her own way, and I really liked her.ANDROMEDA PHOENIXI liked Andromeda. Her story is so heartbreaking, and even though she has a tough shell, it's easy to see that she isn't always so tough underneath, and we've all felt that way at one point or another. Vulnerable. I really liked her and while she definitely wasn't the easiest character to understand, she was one of the most interesting.DONOVAN PHOENIXI liked Donovan, too. He's broken and fragile for much of the book, but slowly he grows stronger. He learns to love again and, moreover, to really live again. I absolutely loved him, and would be very satisfied if we were to get a novella from his POV. (Hint-hint.)

THE PLOTThe plot was amazing.

Again, I feel like I will probably appreciate it more once I have read Persuasion, but still.

Some things bothered me because they were far too coincidental, which was really irritating. I don't like it at all when things fit together too nicely. It's annoying and nothing like life.

Also, the flashbacks or whatever you'd like to call them weren't in order, which drove me insane. I know they were trying to make a point relevant to the chapter, but it was just freaking irritating. I could never figure out what was going on and it drove my crazy, as I've said. Too much to keep track of.

Above all, For Darkness Shows the Stars is a love story. Not everyone will agree with me on that front, but that's the way I choose to see it.

Sure, there was a ton of stuff going on all around them that affected both Elliot's past and present choices, but to me, it was always a love story and there was nothing that could change that.

THE ROMANCEAh, the romance. Elliot and Kai were literally made for each other. Sure, they struggle through that, and for a long time Kai stubbornly refuses to acknowledge that. Still, he comes around (of course!). The romance is so sweet and a tad underdeveloped, but there's so much chemistry that is doesn't really matter so much. They fit together perfectly and when they're together, it was like nothing could ever come between them. Sounds horribly cheesy but it's true. I loved the romance so much. I felt what Elliot was feeling, and I really felt like I was a part of it.

THE WRITINGI love Diana's writing! It's so beautiful. Sometimes it can get a little confusing, though. Several sentences I had to go over two or three times before I could understand them, but that was fine. Honestly, it was really amazing despite its problems. I could picture everything so beautifully, and the world-building is incredible and expertly executed.

THE ENDINGThe ending was perfect. It satisfied my romantic-to-a-fault heart absolutely. It was a but too pretty and clean, but whatever! I loved it, and I wouldn't have chosen a different ending if I could. Elliot and Kai belong together, and this ending was perfect. It even made me cry, it was so beautiful. Happy tears are the way a book should end.

WRAPUPI loved this book a ridiculous amount of much, and I absolutely can't wait until I can read more of Diana's books! In fact, I'll be doing so soon and eagerly. I can't wait to dive into more of her worlds, as she's done such an incredible job with this one.

CATCHALLI loved Fairy Metal Thunder, but Fairy Blues was even better! More action, more drama, more romance—more everything. It went up and down and had such an awesome plot. I couldn't bear to put it down for a minute. I always needed to know what happened next. It was an absolutely amazing book and I loved every second of it.

THE HEROJASONI liked Jason more in this book than in the last for sure. I'm not sure why, exactly, but overall I feel like he worked harder in this story. Sure, he does a questionable thing or two, but hello, I am a teenager too. We're supposed to do questionable things from time to time. Anyway, the guilt he feels really makes him human and relatable—that's the thing that makes him real. I felt more connected to him in this book than in the last, and that was beyond awesome.

THE LOVE INTERESTERINWe get some of Erin's POV in this book, which was so much fun and exactly what I wanted! I got to know her better too, and the reasons behind her actions. She was much more understandable, and I liked her better as a result. I genuinely began to feel like she's the type of girl I'd look for in a friend, and that's always a good feeling to have about book characters. I absolutely wanted to learn more about her.

THE OTHER BAND MEMBERSMITCHSo, I still like Mitch. He's hilarious! And awesome. I seriously couldn't get enough of him. I wanted to know more about him every moment and wished he'd been in the book more, although I admit that he was in it a lot. Still! Sure, he had faults—several of them, actually, but everyone does! He was anything but sensible and a little blinded, but it was done so realistically.DREDShe was in this book very little, or maybe I just didn't notice her. Either way, I still don't really like her, unfortunately. I know she's the down-to-earth one who tries keeps everyone grounded. Even though I know how smart that is, it's still a bit annoying. Even so, I understand her motives and I can respect that.

THE LUTISTAOIDEAoide was in the first book quite a bit, but I didn't mention her because there wasn't much to say about her besides that she was a fluffy faerie. She really grew as a character, though, and in this book we find out a lot more about her. It's hard not to admire the lengths she's willing to go to to retrieve the magic instruments. Instead of sitting back and waiting for someone to take care of the problem for her, she stands up and takes charge.

THE PLOTI loved the plot of this book! Between the record deal and the search for the magical instruments, the was so much action I could hardly put it down. And why would I have even wanted to?

I love using the word awesome to describe these books. But actually, they are more than awesome. They are like—awesome gold. The kind of unique idea that you rarely run across.

And I loved the plot. It was fun of action and drama and it was nearly impossible to find a point to put it down.I already said that, but i am emphasizing how much I mean it.

Some parts were a little too predictable, but that's fine. A little predictability I can deal with. And besides, there was enough mystery that I simply thought it wasn't a problem. There were a enough plot twists that I was kept guessing, but I knew enough that I didn't get constantly frustrated.

So, yes, I absolutely loved the plot. More about keeping the instruments, more about getting them back. Now far introduced too, which was awesome. (Although I missed Icarus, as he wasn't in it very much—not that I have an excuse for liking him. I just do.) Still, some new creatures were introduced too, and they completely charmed me!

THE ROMANCEThe romance develops still more and this book! And it's even better, because we get to see some of it from Erin's side now, and a bit of why she acts the way she does. It was really awesome to see. I love the way it develops slowly and instead of developing too quickly, is sweet and slow. And instead of being a main focus of the story, it still remains mostly on the side but prominent enough to be noticed. Even Aoide has a little bit of a romance.

THE WRITINGJeff's writing has only gotten better! It's unbelievable who much I've come to love it in such a short time. I can literally never get enough. It's absolutely beautiful—and crazy descriptive without being overwhelming. I love the voices of the individual characters and I love the third person. It's so beautifully done! It flows so nicely and I feel like I'm really there, even when things take place in Fairyland and it's harder to imagine.

THE ENDINGI loved the ending! Everything came up to a fantastic and dramatic climax and it was impossible not to fall in love. One big conflict resolved, a million more small ones created—it left me wanting but not feeling cheated! I loved how well everything came together and how it fit smoothly. I loved watching the way everything fir together and I loved everything so much.

WRAPUPFairy Blues was awesome, and I can't wait to start Fairystruck! I am unbelievably eager to begin. I can't wait to read more of Jeff's beautiful, beautiful writing. I highly, highly recommend this series for anyone! Girls and boys—both will love it! I seriously think thus is one of the few series that will appeal to most people and I think that it's amazing!

FINE.

****FINAL RATING: 4.40 RED ROSES****

Oh, and I have a giveaway of the first two Songs of Magic books still going on! Be sure to enter!

Happy Wednesday, roses! And welcome to the Sparkles and Lightning edition of Waiting on Wednesdays hosted by the lovely Jill of Breaking the Spine!

For those of you who don't know, this is a meme used by hundreds of book bloggers to feature a highly anticipated upcoming book.

This week, I am featuring Touch of Death by Kelly Hashway!

Jodi Marshall isn’t sure how she went from normal teenager to walking disaster. One minute she’s in her junior year of high school, spending time with her amazing boyfriend and her best friend. The next she’s being stalked by some guy no one seems to know.After the stranger, Alex, reveals himself, Jodi learns he’s not a normal teenager and neither is she. With a kiss that kills and a touch that brings the dead back to life, Jodi discovers she’s part of a branch of necromancers born under the 13th sign of the zodiac, Ophiuchus. A branch of necromancers that are descendents of Medusa. A branch of necromancers with poisoned blood writhing in their veins.Jodi’s deadly to the living and even more deadly to the deceased. She has to leave her old, normal life behind before she hurts the people she loves. As if that isn’t difficult enough, Jodi discovers she’s the chosen one who has to save the rest of her kind from perishing at the hands of Hades. If she can’t figure out how to control her power, history will repeat itself, and her race will become extinct.

Today is my birthday, as some of you may know! I finally turned seventeen today!

I'll be spending the day celebrating and using it as an excuse to do insane things that I do anyway, but hey, who's keeping track? Not me, that's for sure!

Well, I want to celebrate by throwing a little bit of a giveaway!

I'm going to give away...

Any book of your choice from...

Barnes & Noble (US)

The Book Depositroy (INT)

Well? How does that sound?

I originally wasn't sure how many winners I wanted, but I'm definitely going to have to go with seventeen. Because hello, I am turning seventeen. It makes a crazy sort of sense.

This giveaway will run through July 24. So, y'all have over a month to enter. Here's something a little different for this one: you can enter once a day! Submit one form a day to rack up entries.

Please read my Giveaways page before entering! Just because it's my birthday does not mean that I will be lenient. If I can see that you have not read my Giveaways page (and believe me, sweethearts, I can almost always tell) I will disqualify you.

Welcome!

Welcome to my young adult reading blog! Sparkles and Lightning has young adult book reviews with the occasional children's or adult's book review sprinkled in. It will also be totally and completely fun :) Have a look around, have some laughs, and most of all, have a perfectly sparkly, electric time!

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Disclaimer

In accordance with the FTC Guidelines for blogging and endorsements, I am required to state that no payments are received in return for reviews, promotions and endorsements. All books are received at no cost from publishers or purchased by myself. I receive no monetary compensations for anything that appears on Sparkles and Lightning.